Horror Movie Review: Bug Buster (1998)

From writer Malick Khoury and director Lorenzo Doumani comes Bug Buster, a late-90’s monster-movie throwback that can proudly wear the ‘so bad it’s good’ badge.

It’s no secret that I hate that term as it’s often used by people when it comes to movies that are just terrible. Remember, it’s ok to just like a movie and not everything that is universally panned is so bad, it’s good.

So, why am I using it for Bug Buster? Simply because the story is hilariously nonsensical but in an entertaining way. It has a host of semi-famous names in some of their worst roles. Its attempts at comedy are full-on face plants. It has some surprisingly intense gore effects and delivers an ending that needs to be seen to be believed.

You won’t come away thinking Bug Buster was in anyway a good film but you will come away entertained.

Starring Randy Quaid, Brenda Epperson, Katherine Heigl, James Doohan, George Takei, Meredith Salenger, Ty O’Neal, David Lipper and so many more. Bug Buster opens with a news conference that has the governor of California announcing that the state will be sprayed with an experimental chemical pesticide to combat the spread of a fly that threatens to wipe out its entire food crop for the year.

The speech is interrupted by a Dr Fujimoto (George Takei) who believes the chemical pesticide will cause mutations and accelerated growth in insects. Of course, no-one believes him and we cut to 13-years later.

The small town of Mountview has a cockroach problem. Which is really unfortunate for teenager Shannon (Katherine Heigl) who has just moved there with her parents. They’re here to start a new life having bought the Black Forest Lodge with their savings. The summer is going to be a busy period for them, hopefully.

Unfortunately, the roach problem is about to become a much bigger and nastier issue. One that threatens the lives of everyone in Mountview and maybe beyond. When bugs need killing who are you going to call? Only General George – Pest Eliminator (Randy Quaid) who is at war with all the bugs of the world.

However, this might even be one battle too much for him.

That’s as brief a summation as can be possibly given as to go into detail about every plot point, angle and development would see this review reach thousands of words. Let’s just say that Bug Buster is the story-telling equivalent of Tourette’s syndrome. One moment, it’s feeling like a 90’s TV teen drama and in the next, it’s showcasing some gruesome victims of the bugs.

Talking of which, there are a lot of live cockroaches used in this movie and a lot of the cast are game for having them crawl all over. No-one more than Katherine Heigl who deserves a round applause just for filming the ‘dream bed scene’.

That’s the only reason she deserves the applause though as her acting, alongside almost everyone else, is borderline terrible. Whereas the likes Randy Quaid, Brenda Epperson, James Doohan and George Takei ham it up significantly, the likes of Heigl, Meredith Salenger and David Lipper have to play it straight and it does not work. It’s probably more of an experience thing as the older cast were aware of just what they were doing with Bug Buster.

It’s the hammy performances, the mish-mash of a story that calls back to late 50’s monster movies, the unexpected gruesome gore and, of course – that ending that makes Bug Buster a must see. If only so you can experience its awfulness in all its glory.